Fatalities on Bulgaria's Roads: 521 Lives Lost in the Past Year

Recent analysis by the Institute for Road Safety reveals a decline in road traffic fatalities in Bulgaria over the past three years, with 521 reported deaths in 2023 compared to 531 in 2022 and 561 in 2021. While this trend suggests a decrease in fatalities, a concerning surge in serious injuries raises alarm, escalating from 7,609 in 2021 to 9,090 in 2023.

The correlation between fatalities and severe injuries over the 2017-2021 period prompts a need for comprehensive data scrutiny, highlighting the Ministry of Internal Affairs' daily reporting on road accidents involving fatalities and severe injuries.

Despite the government's announced measures in July 2023 to curb fatalities, the numbers initially increased in the first six months, with 225 deaths in comparison to 221 in 2022. Subsequently, from July to October 2023, fatalities continued to rise, recording 204 deaths, slightly surpassing the corresponding period in 2022.

However, a notable turnaround occurred in the final months of 2023, witnessing a reduction of over 30% in road accident victims compared to the same period in 2022. This downward trend, if sustained into the first half of 2024, could position Bulgaria as an EU leader in reducing accident-related casualties.

Analysts from the Road Safety Institute have identified similar anomalies in 2020 during Covid-19 restrictions and in 2018 and 2021 following severe accidents. Notably, there were no such incidents reported in November and December 2022 and 2023, prompting questions about potential discrepancies in reporting fatalities and severe injuries.

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